NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Entering the Twilight Zone
Imagine an ecosystem without any light or oxygen, where living things convert carbon dioxide into food. This ecosystem is thriving and might just be the largest ecosystem on our planet, yet we know very little about it. The lesson plan...
Curated OER
The Deep
For this deep ocean worksheet, students answer twenty questions after watching a video about the species that live in the deep ocean. Topics include jelly fish, hatchet fish, anglers, tubeworms, sea urchins, and plants that grow in deep...
Curated OER
Living in Extreme Environments: Havens on the Deep Sea Floor
Students identify the characteristics of an extreme environment in the deep ocean and consider what organisms need to survive in these elements. They research sampling and data collection methods in this environment.
NOAA
Fishy Deep-sea Designs!
Oceans represent more than 80 percent of all habitats, yet we know less about them than most other habitats on the planet. The instructor introduces the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, twilight, and midnight zones in the ocean....
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Cool Corals
Young oceanographers research deep sea corals that thrive on chemosynthesis. The lesson plan focuses on the biology of the animal, preferred habitat, associations, and interactions.
NOAA
Build Your Own Ocean Ecosystem
Hold the sea in the palm of your hand! Amateur oceanographers work together to create models of an ocean ecosystem in the sixth and final installment in a series. Raise awareness of global ocean health issues through guided research,...
Rainforest Alliance
Protecting the Critical Habitat of the Manatee and Loggerhead Turtle
Explore ocean habitats with a lesson that showcases the home of manatees and loggerhead turtles in Belize. Here, pupils compare and contrast the homes of ocean animals to those of humans, listen to an original short story about the...
Curated OER
What's in That Cake?
Cooperative groups research trip logs from deep-sea expeditions and explore characteristics of deepwater habitats. Using a cake as the ocean floor, they work together to decorate it as a model of such habitats. They also prepare a...
Curated OER
A Piece of Cake: Ocean Communities
Students explain habitats. For this model based lesson students create a model to help describe a habitat that is typical of deep-water. Students will describe how organisms such as coral and sponges add to their habitat.
Curated OER
What Lives in the Open Ocean and Where Do They Live?
Young scholars explore oceanography by participating in a flash card activity. In this ocean inhabitant lesson, students define a list of ocean related vocabulary terms and answer ocean geography study questions. Young scholars utilize...
Curated OER
A Bioluminescent Gallery
Students examine the different types of luminescence in deep sea organisms. In this bioluminescence instructional activity, students investigate how color and light aide deep ocean organisms by describing the characteristics of the...
Curated OER
Who's New in the Deep Sea?
Young scholars examine the methods and technology that scientists use to study the deep sea and other remote environments. In this ocean habitats lesson students make observations about organisms from video clips, generate questions and...
Curated OER
Ocean Exploration
Students explore a simulated ocean floor. In this environmental lesson plan, students take on roles of an ocean dive team exploring the ocean floor. Dive logs will be created and the students will explore their sections of simulated...
Curated OER
Entering the Twilight Zone
Young scholars describe major features of cold-seep communities and the process of chemosynthesis as it relates to organisms in each habitat. In this deep-sea habitats instructional activity, students study the categorization of ocean...
Curated OER
Design a Deep- Sea Vertebrate or Invertebrate
Young scholars design a deep-sea animal. In this research based lesson, students research and design a vertebrate or invertebrate that lives in a methane hydrate habitat. They compile a class chart of the adaptations animals have in this...
Curated OER
Designing an Underwater Habitat for Humans
Students consider the limitations of deep water oceanography and design an underwater habitat to support scientists while they complete long term studies under the ocean. For this engineering lesson, students are introduced to the...
Curated OER
Entering The Twilight Zone
In this lesson sixth grade students get into groups and research a given ocean habitat. The major features of cold-seep communities are the objective but plenty information is given about other habitats which could be assigned to...
Curated OER
Feeding in the Flow
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a tremendous library of ocean-themed lessons that can be used in a variety of science settings. "Feeding in the Flow" is one of those activities; Its focus is on...
Curated OER
Habitats and Deep Sea Environments
Students examine and identify the characteristics of the four zones of the ocean. They discover the amount of diversity in marine habitats. They also explore the adaptations organisms have that have allowed them to survive.
Curated OER
Hudson Canyon Expedition; Fishy Deep Sea Designs!
Students explore the physical location of deep water habitats along the Hudson Shelf Valley and in Hudson Canyon. They study the basic characteristics of the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones with regard to depth, temperature, pres
Ocean Explorer
Easy as Pi
Seamounts are large, extinct volcanoes that rise up from the bottom of the ocean floor. They are a relatively new landform in the scientific community, and this lesson invites students to learn about the amazing diversity of life found...
Curated OER
No Escape
Via four student handouts, marine biology learners examine the topography and circulation cell of the Fieberilng guyot. Then they examine the number of individual hydroids counted at each depth. Pupils use the information to relate water...
Curated OER
Tracking Narwhals in Greenland The Ocean Unicorn
Young scholars study the ecology, habitats, geographic range and feeding habits of narwhals. They determine at least three reasons for the decline in the narwhal populations and complete the accompanying worksheets.
Curated OER
Big Fleas Have Little Fleas
A benthic habitat hosts a vast collection of organisms and its structure influences the biodiversity. Middle-school marine biology explorers will discuss how corals impact structure, and therefore diversity, on the ocean floor. They draw...